


5 Times Peter Needed Comfort + 1 Time He Already Had It

by spiderhoe



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Clingy Peter Parker, Crying, Dead Aunt May, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Loneliness, Nightmares, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Poor Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-21 00:20:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14272764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderhoe/pseuds/spiderhoe
Summary: I needed a place to dump my ideas, so I figured a 5+1 was the way to go!





	1. Tumbling Down

**Author's Note:**

> Peter has a nightmare

_Peter was being crushed. Tons of cement weighed down on him. He tried to lift the heavy weight, screaming as his ribs cracked and sharp stones dug into his back. Tears streamed down his face as he choked on the dust he was breathing in. Water poured from a burst pipe somewhere above him and he couldn’t breathe, he was going to die because it was too heavy and he couldn’t get out and he couldn’t breathe and-_

Peter woke up gasping, struggling to bring air into his lungs as he panicked. He was sweating, and the sheets were tangled around his legs. He tried to kick them off, feeling too confined but they wouldn’t come off and he felt _trapped_ and he just wanted Tony, he wanted his _Dad_ -

Suddenly, light from the hallway flooded his room as Tony rushed in, looking disheveled. This wasn’t uncommon. Tony had been helping him deal with nightmares even _before_ the adoption.

“Hey kiddo,” Tony started, kneeling beside him. “You need to breathe. Can you breathe for me?”

Peter shook his head rapidly, trying to pull air into his lungs. Tony grabbed his hand and put it on his chest next to the arc reactor.

“We’re gonna breathe together, alright? Feel how my chest is moving?” Tony asked as he moved to sit on the side of the bed. “Try and copy me.” Tony breathed in deeply, exaggerating his breathing for Peter to copy.

Peter tried to take in some air, choking on his sobs a few times, but managing to feel like he wasn’t going to suffocate at least. Tony rubbed his back, trying to help him calm down. Peter leaned closer and pressed his face into his Dad’s chest, taking stuttering breaths.

“Alright kiddie, there you go. You’re safe, nothing’s going to happen to you.” Tony said, pulling Peter closer to him. “You feeling a little better now?”

“Yeah,” Peter whispered, relaxing as his chest began to loosen. “Thank you. And ‘m sorry for waking you up,” he mumbled, face pressed to Tony’s shirt.

“Don’t ever feel sorry,” Tony said, wrapping his kid in a hug. He rested his chin on Peter’s head.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter shook his head, but opened his mouth to speak anyway.

“It was just the thing from homecoming,” he began, feeling himself beginning to shake. “I couldn’t get out after he collapsed the warehouse on me, and it was so heavy. I couldn’t get it off, or breathe and I felt like I was going to die-“ he broke off with a sob, snaking his arms around his dad and pressing his face above the arc reactor. Tony didn’t hesitate to pull him closer, rubbing soothing circles on Peter’s back.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright Pete. You’re okay. You don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want,” Tony whispered. He moved to stand up, and Peter whimpered, grabbing onto his Dad’s shirt.

“Please don’t go.” He sounded pitiful and scared, and Tony could see tears welling up in his eyes from the faint glow of the arc reactor and the soft light from the hallway.

“I’m not going anywhere kiddo. I’ll stay here as long as you want.” He sat down with his back against the headboard and opened his arms. Peter fell against him, feeling safer with Tony there. He knew that Tony wouldn’t leave until Peter was asleep again, and he’d be back if Peter had another nightmare. Peter pressed his face into his Dad’s chest, letting out a huff as he closed his eyes to attempt sleeping again.

“Goodnight, Peter,” Tony whispered, pressing a kiss to his son’s hairline.

“G’night, Dad,” the teen mumbled, already slipping back into unconsciousness.

Peter slept soundly through the rest of the night.


	2. Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter’s enhanced senses aren’t always a good thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much longer chapter this time! Thank you for your kudos, I appreciate it so much

Peter was having a bad day. Upon waking up, he’d already felt the beginnings of a headache forming. He’d taken an aspirin with some water before leaving for school and thrown the bottle in his backpack, knowing it wouldn’t help anyway. A downfall of his enhanced metabolism.

The rising sun seemed brighter than usual as he walked to school. The sounds of the city were loud and he brushed it off as today being busy. His shirt felt too tight. Maybe it had shrunk in the dryer? Oh well. It’s not like he didn’t have dozens of other t-shirts with science puns, no big deal.

As he approached the school, the voices of students grated on his ears. Almost wincing, he weaved through the crowd to walk inside and meet Ned. Inside, it was even worse. The slamming of lockers made his head pound as the ache intensified. He tried to block it out as he made his way towards his own locker.

He began pulling out the books he’d need for the day when Ned showed up at the locker next to him.

“Hey man, are you alright? You look like you’re in pain,” Ned stated, noticing the expression on his friend’s face.

“Yeah, fine.” Peter began nodding, stopping when his head throbbed. “Just got a headache, it’ll go away soon.”

Ned accepted the answer and began talking about a new Lego set he’d gotten. Peter didn’t pay much attention, choosing to focus on blocking out the other noises around him instead.

The first half of his day wasn’t horrible. The fluorescent lights irritated him and his teachers’ voices were too loud, but he tried to block it out, resting his head on the table in all of his classes. When lunch came around, he told Ned that he was going to sit in the library for some quiet and that he’d see him in class.

Walking into the library, he headed straight for the back of the large room. He sat in one of the chairs and closed his eyes, grateful for the silence. The only noises that could be heard were pages turning and keyboards clicking, which was a dozen times better than the cafeteria would be. Here, he didn’t have to listen to Flash throwing insults at him, students shouting for their friends, or the screeching of chairs and tables against the floor.

Of course, it all went downhill from there. The bell rang for students to go to class, which brought back the pounding in his head that had been reduced to a slight throb. He nearly groaned at the pain as he stood up. The bell was loud on its own, but it was almost ridiculous how loud it was with his enhanced senses. Did the bell really have to be so loud? He was sure they’d still hear it if it was a little quieter.

Walking through the hallways made him feel nauseous. Kids crowded around him, shouting and shoving their friends, laughing loudly and making his headache intensify. He tried to get to his next class as quick as he possibly could. Not that he would even pay attention in class, but at least it would be a bit quieter than the halls.

He was lucky that his next teacher didn’t care what students did, but he realized just how unlucky he actually was when class began. Shop class was always loud. Students worked on their projects in the small workshop, making his ears ring as they slammed down their hammers. The whirring of the electric saws sounded like screeching in his ears. He saw his teacher reading a magazine, ignoring the class except for the occasional shout about saw safety. Fumbling a bit, Peter grabbed the bottle of aspirin out of his book bag. He shook 2 out before swallowing them, and tossed the small bottle back into his bag. He pushed the tools and equipment away from where he sat and put his head down on the table. He could see Ned watching him as he quietly worked on his project, but Peter didn’t say anything. He threw an arm over his face in an attempt to block out all the input he was receiving.

He sat like that the whole class. It seemed like it got louder every second, even with the aspirin he had taken at the beginning of class. His body burned straight through it and he couldn’t be bothered to take another pill when he knew it wouldn’t help his pounding head. When he risked a glance at the clock, he saw Ned staring at him again.

“Peter, you don’t look so good.” Ned said, looking worried. “Do you want to go to the nurse? Last time it got this bad, Tony picked you up.” He wasn’t sure if Ned whispered to accommodate his headache or so people wouldn’t hear him talking about Tony, but Peter was grateful anyway. Tony had adopted him a few months ago, and they hadn’t made it public information, trying not make a big deal out of it. Peter was fine with that, not wanting any attention attracted to himself, especially with being Spider-Man and all.

He told Ned that no, he didn’t need Tony to pick him up, ignoring the displeased face Ned made at his answer. He’d only needed to be picked up once because of his sensory overload. Ned had helped him get to the nurses’ office so he could wait for Tony. To say the nurses were shocked when Tony Stark ran into their office was an understatement.

He almost went back on his decision to not call Tony when he stood up, feeling dizzy but managing not to wobble. Class was close to ending, only about 2 minutes before the bell would ring, so everyone was packing up and cleaning their stations off. But he wouldn’t go to the nurse. He wasn’t going to make Tony pick him up when he only had one class left to suffer through.

When the bell rang, the sound seemed to stay in Peter’s head. He let Ned guide him to their next class, trying to block everything out that was going on around him. His head felt heavy, and was filled with harsh noise that made him wince. The t-shirt he wore felt too tight, and he ignored the urge to tug at it. Students chattered around him, occasionally bumping into him as he tried to just make it to class. His head hurt _so much_.

Peter and Ned made it into class less than a minute before the bell rang. As they walked towards their seats at the back of the room, Peter wondered how he was going to make it through this class, seeing how terrible he was feeling. However, as the door to the classroom closed with a heavy _slam_ , and that godforsaken school bell rang again, Peter got the answer to what he’d been wondering.

He would not make it through this class.

Pain exploded in Peter’s head and he stumbled backwards, bumping against the wall before sinking down to the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut, curling in on himself as he tried to block out the pain and noise that assaulted his senses. He could hear people in the room moving around and shouting, making the pain in his head worsen. He couldn’t make out what the voices around him said, only able to clearly hear some of the words. He heard the words “nurse”, “no” and “quiet”. Peter could hear footsteps come towards him, then the words “don’t touch”, and the footsteps retreated back towards the direction they came from. He thought he heard someone say his Dad’s name too, probably Ned. Someone was on the phone, and he could hear them talking but made no effort to listen, trying _not_ to hear everything around him.

Peter wasn’t sure how much time passed while he sat on the floor, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he flinched, his head shooting up to see who it was, which he instantly regretted. The movement exaggerated the pounding in his head and the fluorescent lighting that poured from the ceiling blinded him as his eyes shot open. He was able to make out Ned kneeling in front of him, holding something... holding a phone. His friend’s mouth moved as he spoke, but he couldn’t make out the words, too busy trying not to pass out in front of his peers.

He pushed himself into the corner, putting his head on his knees and trying to ignore the fact that he could hear his classmates’ heartbeats, their breathing, the scuffling of their shoes as the shuffled around, unsure of what to do. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the light that hurt his head and eyes, feeling a few tears leak out. He just wanted this day to end, he wanted the pain to stop and he wanted to go _home_ -

His thoughts stopped as he heard the classroom door open, and rushed, but quiet, footsteps approaching him. He figured it was the nurse and felt a hand gently tap his shoulder. He raised his head slightly, opening his eyes just barely, not wanting to be blinded like he had been earlier.

He let out a small huff of relief when he saw his Dad, not the nurse, kneeling next to him on the tile floor. He looked concerned, his hand raised just above Peter’s shoulder, not wanting to touch him unless Peter said it was alright. The teen slightly leaned forward into Tony’s hand, shutting his eyes again and not caring if his classmates were watching or not. He felt the hand card through his hair for a moment before moving to his shoulder and staying there. Peter took this as his cue to crack his eyes open again, although with more difficulty this time.

“Hey kiddo,” his Dad whispered once he could see the teens eyes. “We’re gonna go home now, alright? I know you feel really bad, but you probably want to get out of here without being carried, right?” Peter nodded his head sluggishly, and began to stand up.

Tony threw Peter’s book bag over his left shoulder while Peter leaned on his right. He used his arm to hold his son upright as they walked out of the classroom, Peter only stumbling a few times. Once they walked out of the room and shut the door, Tony slipped the other strap of the bag on and opened his arms, letting Peter decide whether he wanted to walk the rest of the way or be carried. The teen didn’t hesitate to fall forward, fatigue weighing on him heavily. Tony lifted the small boy with ease, quickly carrying him out to the car. Peter had begun to fall asleep when he heard the car door open and was placed on the smooth leather of the front seat. He buckled himself in, kicking off his shoes and pulling his legs close to himself on the seat.

Tony slipped into the front seat, setting Peter’s bag on the floor of the car and reaching into the back to grab something. He turned back around, an MIT sweatshirt in his hand that he held out. Peter took the sweatshirt gratefully, quickly swapping his too-tight shirt for the softer, larger sweatshirt. He pressed his face into the cool leather of the seat as his Dad started the car, comforted by the scent of expensive cologne and motor oil.

Peter began drifting off on the drive back to the tower. He could hear the car humming as they drove, feeling relieved that the noise didn’t hurt his ears. The pounding headache he’d suffered through all day was now a dull throb. He was nearly asleep when they arrived at home. Peter pressed his face into his Dad’s collarbone as he was lifted out of the car and carried to the elevator. Once the elevator reached their floor, Tony set Peter gently on the couch before promptly wandering off. Confused, Peter blearily opened his eyes, looking around in the dim lighting of the living room to see where his Dad went.

He could see Tony in the kitchen. He continued to watch for a minute before his eyes began to slip shut again. They didn’t stay closed for long, however, as he felt a hand carding through his hair. He looked up at his Dad, who was holding a peanut butter sandwich.

“Hey spider baby,” Tony said, smoothing the hair back from Peter’s forehead. “I know you’re tired but you’ve gotta eat something. Ned told me you hid out at the library instead of eating lunch.”

“M’kay,” Peter mumbled as he accepted the sandwich. He sat up on the couch, making room for Tony to sit beside him. His Dad moved into the space, wrapping a soft blanket around their shoulders as Peter leaned against him. Tony watched as his son ate the sandwich, waiting until he was done to speak.

“Why didn’t you call me, kid?” Tony asked, rubbing the teenager’s shoulder. “I could have picked you up. Or you could have gone to the nurse, at least.” He cast a sad glance down as Peter rested his head next to the arc reactor in Tony’s chest, face faintly lit with blue.

“S’rry Dad,” Peter fumbled with the words. “I didn’t want to bother you when I was gonna get home soon anyway. Thought I could deal with it.”

Tony pressed his face into his son’s soft curls, saddened by the words that came out of his mouth.

“Peter.” Tony said, holding the teenager by the shoulders so they could maintain eye contact. “You wouldn’t have bothered me. I don’t care if there’s 5 hours or 5 minutes left of school. If you ever feel that bad again, call me. Please.” His voice was sad and Peter could tell he was worried. Peter felt guilty.

“Sorry,” he said again, tears shining in his large brown eyes, glinting in the dim lighting.

“Don’t be sorry,” Tony said, pulling the teen back into his chest and wrapping his arms around him. “Don’t be sorry. Just call me next time. I don’t want you to feel bad, okay? I don’t want you suffering the whole day when you could have been here. Promise me that if it gets bad again you’ll call me, or at least send me a text.”

“I promise,” Peter said into Tony’s chest. “Can I sleep? I’m tired.” His eyes were already slipping shut as he asked the question.

“Of course you can kiddie. I love you,” Tony said as he adjusted them to be more comfortable.

“I love you too,” Peter slurred with his last bit of consciousness, wrapping his arms around his Dad’s torso and drifting off to sleep.


	3. Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter runs into some unexpected visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter!! This was originally going to be chapter 4, but I was excited to write it + using it for chapter 3 gave me a better idea for chapter 4. Hope you enjoy!!

Peter felt so free. The school day had gone by quickly, and the decathlon had a free day from practice. As he’d left the school, Peter had texted Tony to let him know he was going to patrol for a few hours. His Dad had texted back minutes later, telling him to be safe and be home by 5.

Now, at 4:50, Peter was swinging back to the tower. His Dad had seemed stressed this morning when Peter had left for school, and he didn’t want to stress him out any more by being late. He let himself fall lower than necessary a few times before catching himself with a web, enjoying the feeling it gave him, similar to being on a roller coaster.

As he reached the tower, he climbed through his bedroom window, not bothering to be quiet. His dad was probably in the lab anyway, since that was where he usually went to relieve stress. Peter removed his mask and backpack, tossing them beside his bed before taking off his suit. He jumped around as he pulled his legs into a pair of jeans and threw on a soft sweatshirt before exiting his bedroom. He hummed to himself as he walked down the hallway, trying to decide if he should go find his Dad first or get something to eat.

He was turning the corner into the living area when he suddenly felt a pain at the base of his skull, spidey senses flaring up, but he didn’t understand why. If he was in danger, surely there would be an alarm going off or _something_. However, his confusion quickly shifted to panic as he was slammed to the ground by strong hands, the breath being knocked from his lungs by the force. Peter struggled against his attacker’s grip, the feeling of heavy weight holding him down bringing back memories from homecoming night. He could tell that someone was talking to him in a hard voice, but Peter was unable to make out the words being said as his ears rang.

Peter’s arms were pinned behind his back, face pressed hard into the ground. His nose hurt and he thought it might be bleeding, and he knew there would be bruises from how hard the assailant was gripping his arms. Their grip only seemed to tighten as Peter struggled, trying to escape so he could pull air into his lungs. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes involuntary as he fought against unconsciousness. Passing out was not an option right now. He needed to get _away_ from this person, not leave himself more defenseless than he already was.

Just as darkness began creeping around the edges of his vision, Peter heard his name being shouted and felt footsteps running in his direction. When the shout sounded, the grip on his arms loosened and Peter managed to squirm out of the hold. He tried to pull air into his lungs, choking on a sob as he saw his Dad approaching him. He reached his arms out towards the man, feeling safer now that Tony was there. His father quickly pulled the crying teen to his chest, moving so both of them were stood up. Peter couldn’t focus on anything around him as he breathed in short, stuttering breaths, leaning heavily on his Dad. However, he tried his best when he heard another voice.

“Who is that?” The man standing in front of them asked. Tony moved Peter behind back, shielding him with his own body. As Peter focused his vision, he finally understood why his Dad had been so stressed that morning. Standing in the hallway was Steve Rogers, Sergeant Barnes and Sam Wilson a few feet behind him.

“ _Who is that?_ ” Tony mimicked, sounding angry. “Why didn’t you ask that _before_ you attacked him?” Tony glared daggers at Steve, clearly pissed off.

“I did ask!” Steve defended himself, waving his arms. “I thought he had broken in, and he wasn’t answering when I asked who he was. And we still don’t know who he is,” Cap said, gesturing to himself and the two men behind him. Sam grimaced, while Bucky’s face remained slack, if not a bit confused.

“Well,” Tony growled out, “this is _Peter_ , he’s my _son_ , and if you know what’s best for you,” Tony paused, squinting at Rogers, ”you won’t ever attack him like that again.”

Steve’s eyes widened, as he looked between Tony and the sniffling teen that stood behind him. Peter didn’t have the energy to pay attention anymore, choosing instead to rest his head between his Dad’s shoulder blades, taking wheezing breaths. While his eyes were closed, he listened to parts of the conversation going on. He heard Steve say something about Tony keeping secrets. Tony shot something back about Steve having no right to lecture him about keeping secrets, which seemed to shut Steve up immediately, silence settling over them.

Then Peter was pulled into Tony’s chest, his Dad pressing his lips to the top of the teen’s head. He tilted Peter’s head up to wipe the drying tears off his face.

“Hi, Dad.” Peter hummed tiredly, leaning into the touch. His panic attack was over and the fatigue was setting in.

“Hey buddy,” Tony whispered, rubbing his thumb over his son’s cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about people being here. That shouldn’t have happened.” Tony’s face fell as the guilt weighed on him.

“S’alright,” the teen mumbled, eyes half closed. “Just glad you’re here now.” He leaned forward to press his face into his Dad’s collarbone. Tony picked the boy up, walking past the men who still stood in the hallway and out to the living room. He set Peter down on the couch, brushing a hand through his hair, before walking towards the kitchen. Peter stood up and stumbled after his Dad, not wanting to sit alone on the couch. Tony wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulders as they walked to the kitchen together. Peter sat on the kitchen counter as Tony made them sandwiches.

Peter looked over his shoulder when the elevator dinged, doors opening to reveal Black Widow. She stepped out, locking eyes with the teen sitting on the counter before moving her sharp glance to Tony. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but the man cut her off before she could get a word out.

“This is my son, Peter,” Tony said roughly. He went back to making the sandwiches, not allowing for a conversation. Natasha glanced between them again, then walked towards the other men in the room. Steve, Bucky, and Sam had slowly moved back towards the living area.

When the sandwiches were done being made, Peter took his chance to talk.

“So, what are they doing here?” He asked the question that had been nagging him.

“They’re here to discuss the accords,” Tony answered, rubbing a hand down the side of his face. Peter saw the dark circles under his eyes and knew he probably hadn’t slept the night before. “I’ve been working on getting them pardoned, but I might have to rethink that now,” his Dad said, casting a dry glance towards Steve.

“Don’t,” Peter said, following his gaze. “It was just a misunderstanding. They didn’t know who I was.”

Tony grumbled something, but didn’t mention it again. They finished eating their sandwiches before moving to the couch in the center of the room. Peter asked if they could watch a movie, even though the teen knew he wouldn’t be able to stay awake the whole time. Tony obliged grabbing the remote. He tried to ignore the tension in the room for a few minutes before sighing. He looked towards the stray ex-avengers who stood at the back of the room, looking uncomfortable, and made a hand motion indicating that they could sit down. They did, Sam sitting on a chair in the corner of the room while Natasha sat on the end of one of the longer couches. Steve and Bucky shared a small couch.

Steve spoke as Tony continued to flip through the channels.

“I’m... sorry,” Steve started, looking guiltily at Peter. “I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I’m sorry if I hurt you. I’ll leave if my being here makes you uncomfortable.”

Peter shook his head at the last part of the apology.

“You don’t have to leave,” Peter said, looking at Steve. “It was a misunderstanding. And I’m fine.” He added the last part, trying to ease the man’s guilt.

“Just don’t do it again,” Tony added, giving the man a blank stare.

They found a movie on tv that was agreed on and dimmed the lights. Tony grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch, settling it over himself and his son. Peter laid his head on Tony’s chest, sighing tiredly when he felt his Dad’s fingers carding through his hair. He felt safe here, even after being attacked earlier. He curled closer to Tony, wrapping his arms around the man’s torso. He was tired, but wanted to make it at least halfway through the movie. Tony watched the teen’s brown eyes fall shut a few times before opening again. He leaned down to talk.

“You can sleep, you know.” Tony continued petting Peter’s hair. “I know you’re tired.” Peter just nodded against his chest, keeping his eyes open.

Peter managed to stay awake for another ten minutes. He closed his eyes again, and didn’t try to fight it this time. The low light was comforting, as well as the blanket around him. The last thing Peter remembered was mumbling incoherently against his Dad’s chest, and a kiss being pressed to his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, look. I like Steve but I had to make him the bad guy. Sorry. Also, it seems like Tony and Peter live off of sandwiches in this story.


	4. Missed You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am,, so sorry this took so long to update

Peter sat on the couch in the empty living room, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He fiddled with his phone nervously, knowing he was being ridiculous. But he couldn’t help it. Tony and the Avengers had flown to Washington D.C. two days earlier, and he missed them. A lot. The previously Rogue Avengers had been staying at the tower for almost 3 months now, and Peter enjoyed their company more than he thought he would’ve after having to fight them and then being attacked in his own house.

But enjoying their company meant he missed them even more now. He spent most of his time with them when he wasn’t patrolling or doing homework. He missed playing Mario Kart with Sam and Clint, who had shown up a few days later after trying to convince Wanda to return with them. She’d refused to come back, and the archer had shown up alone. Out of the whole team, Peter had warmed up to Clint the quickest. Everyone in the tower now knew that if they saw the two of them together, someone was about to walk into a prank. Either that or they were baking something. Clint enjoyed trying new recipes, and Peter was more than happy to volunteer as taste tester.

He was waiting for Tony to call and say they’d be coming home soon, as the meetings with Ross should be ending. His Dad had grumbled about “Ross being up their asses” and that he was going to “throw them all in the Raft unless they flew to Washington”. Peter had stiffened at the words, relaxing only after his Dad reassured him that they weren’t actually going to be put in the Raft.

He wished they were here. He wanted to train with Natasha, or sit on the couch and read with Bucky and Steve, or catch them up with all the movies they’d missed. Peter wanted to help Rhodey cook breakfast, or tinker in the lab with his Dad.

Peter was snapped out of his thoughts as the phone in his hands buzzed, a picture of him with Tony lighting up the screen. He fumbled, swiping his finger across the screen to accept the call, before holding it to his ear.

“Hey kiddo,” his Dad’s voice came through the speaker. Peter smiled a bit, relaxing at the comforting tone.

“Hi, Dad.” Peter leaned against the back of the couch. “Are you guys on your way back yet? I thought the meetings would only last two days.”

Tony’s sigh was barely audible through the phone.

“Sorry, Pete,” Tony started, sounding tired. “These meetings have been dragging on. We won’t be able to leave until late tonight.”

“Oh,” Peter said, face falling. “Um, that’s fine. Yeah just... no unnecessary pit stops, alright?” The teen forced out a chuckle, trying not to sound too upset over the phone.

“Oh, kid.” His Dad didn’t buy it. “I’m sorry. We’ll be home as soon as we can, alright? I love you.”

“I love you, too. I miss you.” Peter choked up at the end of his words, trying to cover it with a cough.

“I miss you, too, Underoos. I have to hang up now, but I’ll see you soon.”

They said bye, and Peter set the phone down on the coffee table. He felt ridiculous as tears began welling up in his brown eyes. The teen rested his head against the back of the couch and pressed his palms into his eyes, attempting to keep the tears from spilling. Sniffling, he grabbed a pillow and held it against his chest, drawing his knees up. Peter felt like such a _baby_. Most teens would be happy to have the house to themselves, but he just felt lonely. Usually he wouldn’t feel this bad when Tony was gone, but there was no one around this time. The Avengers were with his Dad, Happy and Pepper had to leave for a conference, and Ned was was visiting family out of town.

Peter wasn’t sure how long he stayed in that position before his legs started to cramp. He moved so he was laying down and grabbed the television remote off the coffee table. He scrolled through channels carelessly, knowing he wasn’t going to be paying attention to whatever he put on. The teen selected a random channel before pulling another pillow into his arms and pressing his face into it. He curled in on himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he wallowed in self pity.

 

When Peter woke up, it was to soft murmuring, the low volume of the tv, and a warm hand rubbing his cheek. He let out a soft groan, feeling the ache in his body as he moved from the position he’d stayed in for who knows how long. He leaned into the hand holding his cheek, feeling comforted by the touch. Then, he cracked his eyes open to look around the room.

He could see Steve and Bucky sitting closely on the couch, having a quiet conversation. Sam and Clint seemed to be arguing over the remote, thankfully keeping their voices low and their shoving to a minimum. Tony hovered over him, looking down with soft eyes. But Peter couldn’t see Rhodey or Natasha anywhere in the room. He panicked a bit. Peter liked being able to see the people he cared about, and to know they were safe.

“S’Uncle Rhodey?” Peter’s words were jumbled, but his Dad understood anyway and let out a soft chuckle.

“He had to stay in D.C. for another day, government stuff. But he’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”

“An’ Tasha?”

“She’s in her room, kiddo.” His Dad looked concerned and a little amused. “Do you want to go to bed, Spiderling? You look like you could use some more rest.”

Peter knew his Dad meant well. He knew. But his eyes still widened at the words, and he shook himself out of the tired haze enveloping him. He sat up, shaking his head.

“No, no. I’m fine, I promise. I want to stay with everyone.” He looked up with wide, pleading eyes. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair but smiling anyway.

“That’s fine Pete. You don’t have to leave, alright kid? Do you want Natasha to come in here, too?” Peter nodded, relaxing at the thought of being able to see everyone.

Tony moved away, no doubt to go retrieve Natasha, but Peter couldn’t hold back the whimper that escaped him. His Dad whipped back around at the sound, moving back to Peter’s side and asking FRIDAY to alert Natasha instead. Peter was embarrassed, but it was washed away as Tony carded through the teen’s soft curls. Letting out a sigh, Peter leaned into the touch.

“Movie night?” Peter asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt the atmosphere of the room. Tony said yes, and he could see the others nod in agreement.

“Can we all... sit together?” The question was asked timidly, and Peter’s cheeks went a bit red as he looked around the living room.

“Sure kiddo.” Tony’s eyes were soft and a bit guilty as he looked at his son. He hadn’t wanted to stay away for so long. “Want to build a fort?”

Peter let out a laugh at the question, but nodded anyway. The others in the living room moved to stand, Clint and Sam going to grab more pillows and blankets from the closet. Steve and Bucky pushed the couches so the cushions were pressed together, while Tony and Peter grabbed two chairs and placed them at opposite ends of the couches. Natasha walked into the room at the same time as Sam and Clint, whose arms were full of sheets, blankets and pillows. They dumped the pillows and blankets on the couch, while Natasha draped the sheet over the chairs and back of the couch.

“Hey, маленький паук.” Peter smiled at the Russian words. Natasha always spoke softer when she was talking to the teen. She smoothed his hair back before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Hi Aunt Natasha,” he giggled, attempting to wipe the lipstick from his face.

The team moved to the fort, sitting close together. Natasha’s back was pressed against the arm rest, her legs thrown over Clint’s lap as they talked quietly. She smirked as Clint rolled his eyes at whatever she’d just said. Steve watched fondly as Bucky and Sam shoved each other, his eyes shining with amusement. Bucky was using the metal arm to his advantage. Peter felt content as he looked around the room, considerably more calm than he’d felt earlier in the day. He curled into his father’s side, letting himself relax. Tony asked FRIDAY to dim the lights, turning on a Disney movie before cradling the teen to his chest and pressing a kiss to his hair.

“You feeling better Bambi?” Tony smiled as Peter hummed in his throat.

“Yeah. I just missed you guys.” Peter pressed his face against his Dad’s chest, feeling more comfortable than he had over the past few days.

“We missed you too, spider baby.” Peter’s cheeks reddened at the nickname, and he moved his head so it was under his Dad’s chin. Tony laughed, carding his hands through Peter’s soft curls.

“What? You don’t like your nickname, spider baby?” Tony asked. Peter looked up, face almost completely red. Tony let out another laugh, throwing his head back. The teen pouted, fake glaring at the man as he jokingly pouted back. Tony finally took pity on his son, cupping the boy’s face and planting a few kisses on his cheeks and forehead while Peter laughed.

“Okay, okay stop!” Peter said between laughs. “The movie is on,” the teen whispered before holding a finger to his lips and making a _shhh_ sound.

“Alright kiddo,” his Dad whispered back, pulling the teen back against his chest and wrapping one of the blankets around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! And thank you for your comments/ kudos, I appreciate them so much!


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